Trouser with adjustable waist size



Sept. 7, 1965 KYUZO SATO TROUSER WITH ADJUSTABLE WAIST SIZE 8Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 17, 1962 Sept; 7, 1965 KYUZO SATO TROUSER WITHADJUSTABLE WAIST SIZE 8 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 17, 1962 Sept. 7, 1965KYUZO SATO TROUSER WITH ADJUSTABLE WAIST SIZE 8 Sheets-Sheet 3 FiledDec. 17, 1962 FIG. 3.

Sept. 7, 1965 KYUZO SATO TROUSER WITH ADJUSTABLE WAIST SIZE 8Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Dec. 17. 1962 FIG. 4.

Sept. 7, 1965 KYUZO SATO TROUSER WITH ADJUSTABLE WAIST SIZE 8Sheets-Sheetfi Filed Dec. 17. 1962 FIG.5.

Sept. 7, 1965 KYUZO SATO 3 TROUSER WITH ADJUSTABLE WAIST SIZE Filed Dec.17, 1962 a Sheets-Sheet e P 7, 1965 KYUZO SATO 3,204,253

TROUSER WITH ADJUSTABLE WAIST SIZE Filed Dec. 17. 1962 a sheets-sheet 7FIG? Ill

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P 1965 KYUZO SATO 3,204,253

TROUSER WITH ADJUSTABLE WAIST SIZE Filed D60. 17, 1962 8 Sheets-Sheet 8F|G.|O

u? us A 1 us as us I H8 l FG ll "8 us n9 United States Patent 3,204,253TROUSER WITH ADJUSTABLE WAIST SIZE Kyuzo Sato, 16 Z-clrorne, Abenosuji,Abeno-ku, Osalra-shi, Osaka-fu, Japan Filed Dec. 17, 1962, Ser. No.245,022 Claims priority, application Japan, Dec. 26, 1961, (utilitymodel), 36/64,228; (utility model), 36/ 64,229; Sept. 4, 1962 (utilitymodel), 37/50,495; Sept. 13, 1962 (utility model), 37/39,6tl2

1 Claim. (Cl. 2237) This invention relates to lower body coveringgarments, such as trousers, which are so made that their waist size isadjustable.

It is usual, in conventional trousers with adjustable waist size, tomake the upper portion of both sides of the trousers with front and backpanels that are free to be adjustably overlapped along the edges of theside pockets, and to adjust the position where the both panels arefastened together with an appropriate metal clasp. However, suchtrousers have the shortcoming of spoiling their own appearance, as theabove-mentioned fastening metal clasp is exposed outside when bothpanels are fastened together in an expanded position. Also such trousersare subject to the disadvantage that, due to the methods ofconstruction, the upper portions of the side pockets are not fasten-dedwhen the trousers are hung, thereby causing articles in the pockets todrop out.

The present invention is directed to a lower body covering garment,having an adjustable waist band and having good style characteristics,characterized by the fact that there are no exposed metal fasteningelements. Furthermore, the garments made according to the presentinvention are comfortable to wear and do not have an awkward appearance,such as the presence of wrinkles and creases, which are characteristicof known adjustable waist band garments.

To these ends, the adjustable waist band garment of the presentinvention is characterized by comprising a front panel and a rear panel,with the front panel having side pockets extending forwardly from itsside edges and with each side pocket having an outer wall and an innerwall. The outer and inner pocket walls are joined at their upper, lowerand forward edges, and the corresponding side edges of the front andrear panels are joined to each other along lines extending upwardly topoints spaced from the upper edges of the panels by a distance of theorder of the depth of the side pockets. The corresponding side edges ofthe front and rear panels are free of each other above these points.

A feature of the invention is that the side pocket inner walls extendrearwardly beyond the rear edges of the outer walls, and the rear edgesof the side pocket inner walls are joined to the side edges of the rearpanel to form sub stantially triangular expansion gussets, eachextending from an apex at one of the mentioned points to a baseconnecting the panel top edges. A waist band is secured along the innersurfaces of the panels and the gussets adjacent the top edges, and thewaistband has slits therein aligned with the junctions of the sidepocket inner walls and the respective side edges of the rear panel.

The adjusting means which interconnects the front and 3,264,253 PatentedSept. 7, 1965 "ice rear panels is positioned at the waist band, andcomprises a strap having an articulated connection, at one end, to theassociated front panel forwardly of the rear edge of the associated sidepocket outer wall, and enclosed between the side pocket outer wall andthe waist band. Each strap extends in overlapping relation with thesurface of the associated gusset and through the associated slit in thewaist band. The free end of each strap has a longitudinally adjustableinterconnection with an interconnecting element secured on the exposedsurface of the waist band extending along the rear panel rearwardly ofthe rear edge of the side pocket inner wall. Each articulated connectionincludes a first member secured to the front panel, a second membersecured to the adjacent end of the strap, and means pivotallyinterconnecting these members. Thereby the longitudinally adjustableinterconnection is accessible on the inner surface of the garment foradjusting the effective length of the waist band of the garment. Theadjustable interconnection may include slide fastener means.

For an understanding of the principles of the invention, reference ismade to the following description of a typical embodiment thereof asillustrated in the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a partial outside elevation view of a pair of trousersembodying the invention, with the waist band being shown partlyexpanded;

FIG. 2 is a partial inside elevation view corresponding to FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 1 and illustrating the waist band asfully expanded;

FIG. 4 is a partial inside elevation view of the trousers, correspondingto FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a view, similar to FIG. 1, but illustrating the waist bandfully contracted;

FIG. 6 is a partial inside elevation view corresponding to FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a front elevation view of an articulated metal fittingincluded in the waist band adjusting and interconnecting means;

FIG. 8 is a top plan view of the fitting shown in FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 is an exploded view of the fitting shown in FIGS. 7 and 8; and

FIGS. 10, l1 and 12 are views, generally corresponding to FIGS. 7, 8 and9, illustrating a modified form of articulated metal fitting.

A pair of trousers embodying the invention is shown in FIGURES 1 through6, wherein front body or panel A and rear body or panel B are sewedtogether up to the bottom 15 of the edge of side pocket C along the sidesewing line 1. Above that point the both bodies A, B are freelyadjustable about the cardinal point, the bottom of the pocket edge, andadjusting of waist size is effected by increasing and decreasing thedegree of overlapping of the front body or panel over the rear body orpanel. The upper portion of the side pocket is closed even when thewaist is expanded to the maximum. Overlapping of panels A, B is held tothe minimum, as shown in FIGURES 3 and 4, as both panels are connectedtogether by the waist lining 12 which is sewed to the insides of theboth bodies. When the waist is expanded to the maximum, the waist lining12 is stretched out, and as the waist is tightened the overlapping ofthe panels increases and, at the same time, the excess length of thewaist lining thus created is formed into pleats. When the waist istightened to the minimum, the rear side edge of the front panel will, ofcourse, comes right to the side sewing line.

In the drawings, 2 is the pocket opening line of the front panel, 3 isoutline of the front panel, 4 is the outline of the side pocket. Theopening line of the side pocket is sewed to the side edges of both thefront panel and the rear panel. is the outline of the rear pocket, 11 isthe rear pocket opening, and 13 shows the overlapped portion of thewaist band caused by tighteningof the waist band.

In the above, the front panel A moves about the cardinal point, thebottom edge of the side pocket, from normal position shown in FIGURES 1and 2 to the expanded position shown in FIGURES 3 and 4, and to thetightened position shown in FIGURES 5 and 6. In this case however, sincethe pocketopening line 2 makes a circular motion around edge 15, theedge of the tab makes a circular motion instead of a straight linemotion, if the waist tab 5 is simply fixed to the front body, and, as aresult, the adjusting of the waist becomes unnatural, the shape oftrousers is lost, and the appearance is spoiled.

Therefore, one end of the waist tab 5, which adjusts expanding andtightening of the waist, is attached to the inside of the front panel atan appropriate position inside the tube formed by the waist band, withthe jointing metal fitting 8 which enables the edge of waist tab 5 tomove in a straight line. A metal clasp 7 is fixed to the other end ofthe tab 5, and the clasp 7 can be fastened to a slide fastener (zipper),which is firmly fixed to an appropriate position on the inside of rearpanel, arranging itself parallel to the upper edge of the panel, in anydesired position of the straight line of the fastener. That is, thejointing metal fitting 8 can be made of two parts, one being a fitting afixed to the panel by sewing on or by other fastening methods, the otherbeing a fitting b to which one end of the waist tab is attached. Bothfittings are so pivotally interconnected that they can be freely rotatedin a plane. Alternatively, fitting 8 can be made of three parts, i.e.,fitting a, fitting b and middle fitting d, to the opposite edges ofwhich fittings a and b are pivotally connected. When the fastener 6 isattached to the inside of back body, the tab 5 is inserted through aslit in the waist band.

Metal clasp 7, while it is engaged with the fastener 6, is moved alongthe length of the fastener, and the clasp 7 is fixed relative to thefastener 6 at its appropriate position. 14 is the fly clasp. In thedrawing, the'hook portion of the fly clasp is made of two hooks 14'placed on one metal body and positioned parallel in one row, and theclasp portion (not shown), to which the hook is adapted to be secured,is also made of two clasps built in one metal body and arranged parallelin one row.

The details of the metal fitting for adjusting the waist size will bedescribed with reference to FIGURES 7 through 12.

In FIGURES 7 through 9, 109 is a long metal fitting fixed longitudinallyto the padding of the waist of front panel 106, and is sewed on by meansof its holes 110. 111 is a long metal fitting, and through its slot 112the base end of the waist tab 5 is inserted and fastened. Metal fittings109 and 111 are, by means of apertured ears in the middle of theirsides, connected by pins 114, 114' to the ends of metal link 113, whichextends between them.

That is, metal fitting 109 and metal fitting 113, as well as metalfitting 113 and metal fitting 11, are so connected that the both metalfittings are freely rotatable around the axes of pins 114 and 114'respectively. Thus, in spite of relative movement of the front bodycorresponding to adjusting the waist size, the waist tab moves in astraight line.

The free end of waist tab 5 may thus move on a straight line along theportions of the rectilinear connecting means fixed to the back panel andextending parallel to the upper edge thereof. This portion of theadjusting means may be of any desired rectilinear construction, which iseither continuous or discontinuous. Thus, it may be a slide fastener, aseries of hooks or buttons arranged along a line, or any similararrangement. It should be understood that the two parts of theadjustable connection need not necessarily be arranged with the part 8on the front panel and the part 6 on the rear panel, but that theposition of these parts could be reversed. Also, instead of using theintermediate link 113, fittings 109 and 110 can be pivotally connectedto each other.

FIGS. 10, 11 and 12 illustrate an alternative embodiment of thearticulated waist adjustment means. Referring to these figures, insteadof sewing a part 109 directly to the cloth of the garment, a two-partmetal fitting may be used. Thus, and as shown particularly in FIGS. 10,11 and 12, the fitting may comprise two parts, and 115, the part 115being formed with piercing tabs 116 arranged to be pierced through thecloth and inserted through slots 117 in the part 115' and bent over. Theother element of the articulated interconnection comprises the part 118which is substantially identical with the part 111, and the parts 115and 118 may be pivotally interconnected by means of a link 119 or may bedirectly pivoted to each other, as previously described for the fittingshown in FIGS. 7, 8 and 9. However, the provision of the link 113 or 119provides for a smoother and neater adjustment of the waist band size.

What is claimed is:

An expandable waist, lower body covering, garment comprising a frontpanel having opposite side edges and a top edge; a rear panel havingopposite side edges and a top edge; said front panel having side pocketsextending from its side edges, and each side pocket having an outer walland an inner wall; the outer and inner pocket Walls being joined attheir upper, lower and forward edges; the corresponding side edges ofsaid front and rear panels being joined to each other along a lineextending upwardly to points spaced from the panel top edges by adistance of the order of the depths of said side pockets, and saidcorresponding side edges being free of each other above said points; therear edges of the side pocket outer walls being joined to thecorresponding side edges of said front panel; the side pocket innerwalls extending rewardly beyond the rear edges of the outer walls andthe rear edges of the side pocket inner walls being joined to the sideedges of said rear panel, to form substantially triangular expansiongussets each extending from an apex at one of said points to a baseconnecting. said panel top edges; a waist band secured along the innersurfaces of said panels and said gussets adjacent said top edges, saidwaist band having slits thereacross aligned with the junctions of theside pocket inner walls and the respective side edges of the rear panel;and adjustable means interconnecting said front and rear panels at thewaist band for adjusting the waist length of said garment between anexpanded position, in which said gussets and said waist band is fullyexpanded, and a contracted condition, in which corresponding side edgesof said panels are in substantial abutment and said gussets are pleatedeach of said ad justable interconnecting means comprising a strap havingan articulated connection, at one end, to the associated front panelforwardly of the rear edge of the associated side pocket outer wall andenclosed between the side pocket outer wall and said waist band; eachstrap extending in overlapping relation with the outer surface of theassociated gusset and through the associated slit in said waist band;the free end of each strap having a longitudinally adjustableinterconnection with an interconnecting element secured on the exposedsurface of the Waist band extending along the associated rear panelrearwardly of the rear edge of the associated side pocket inner wall;each articulated connection comprising a first member secured to theassociated front panel, a second member secured to the adjacent end ofsaid strap, and a link pivotally connected at each end to a respectiveone of said members; whereby said longitudinally adjustableinterconnection is accessible on the inner surface of the garment foradjusting the efiective length of the waist band of the garment.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS FOREIGN PATENTS6/59 France. 12/59 France.

2/ 39 Great Britain. 6/55 Italy. 3 49 Switzerland.

JORDAN FRANKLIN, Primary Examiner.

DAVID J. WILLIAMOWSKY, Examiner.

